North Dakotans are not, in Clay's view, getting from our leaders, a sufficient supply of the candor, transparency, and vision they need during a period of unprecedented industrial transformation of our landscapes, our communities, our lives, and our North Dakota character. Clay imagines the kind of address to the people of North Dakota that would help us make sense of the boom and the choices we are making as a people. The talk of "growing pains" does not, in his view, adequately cover the challenges and changes we face, or give sufficient respect to the enduring stewardship values of the North Dakota people.